Car-coupling



UNITED STATES- PATENT Denice. Y

FRANCIS M. HAZLETON, OF RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA.

' CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,065, dated September 26, 1882,

' Application filed March 11,1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS MARION HA- ZLETON, of Red Bluff, in the county of Tehama and State of California, have invented c'ertain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists in a novel construction and combination, with a draw-head, of a sliding block actuated by a spring for holding up the coupling-pin when uncoupled and pressing against the link and pin when coupled, a sliding bar, levers, and connections for raising and lowering the coupling-pin, a pair of springs for pressing laterally against the link to hold it in position, and certain details of construclion and arrangement hereinafter more particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of mylinvention as applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the draw-head. Fig. 3 is an inverted view of the pin-holder. Fig. 4 is an end view of a portion of a car provided with my improvement.

The draw-hoadAhas its mouth flaringin the usual form to insure the entering of a link carried by a higher or lower car, and in the top and bottom of the month are holes for the reception of the coupling-pin. In the top of the draw-head is a recess, a, in which works a horizontally sliding block, B, provided with a shank or stem, b, surrounded by a spring, 0. The shank or stem b works in a bearing in a plate, (I, and the ends of the spring 0 abut against this plate and against the block B with a tendency to keep said block pressed forward toward the mouth of the draw-head. The block B is guided in its rectilineal motion by the stern b working in the plate 61 and by the contact of its sides with the sides of the recess on.

On the under side of the block B is a lug or stud, 11 which projects down into the drawhead, as shown in Fig. 1. When the couplingpin E is not in place in both holes in thedrawhead the spring 0 forces the block B forward sufficiently far to cause it to obstruct the upper hole and preventthe pin from entering into the interior of the draw-head, so that the pin may be simply inserted in the upper hole, and its lower end will rest on the top of the block.

When a car carrying a coupling-link apnected with the bar.

proaches to be coupled the end of the'link enters the mouth of the draw-head and strikes the lug or stud b on the block B, forcing it backward, so as to leave the hole free and allow the pin to drop of its own weight to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Any ordinary coupling-pin may be used in connection with this draw-head and block by through which works a rod, J, provided with a not or collar, 13, above said arm or lug, and having itslower end connected to the couplingpin E. The bar G may be operated from the top of the car. by means of a handle at its upper end, or from either side ofthe car by means of levers K K, having their inner ends conthe pin E is withdrawn sufficiently to allow the block B to slide under its lower end and hold it in position for coupling. The bar GrIS then lowered again, so as to allow the rod 'J to slide through the arm 1 and the pinE to drop ot'its own weightwhen the block B is again forced back.

On each side of the draw-head is atlat spring, L, at the free end of which is a projection, Z, extending through an opening into the mouth of the draw-head, so as to bear against the link when in place.

The advantages of my invention are: The pin can be raised and lowered from the top or either side of the car without the necessity for going between the cars, and the pin is held in such a position that the link in the opposite draw-head of the approaching train releases the pin and couples the cars. The two springs L L hold the link in a straight line with the draw-head, but allow it to oscillate when going around a curve. The log or stud b on the block B,actuated bythespring c,keepsthelink M pressed against the pin E, and thus prevents it from jolting out of place.

Having thus fully described my invention,

When the bar is raised what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, provided with the recess a, the coupling-pin E, and the link M, of the sliding block B, provided with the downwardlyprojecting lug b and a rearwardly-project'ing stem, b,thespring 0, surrounding the said stem, and the plate or abutment 01, contained in the said recess, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the link-pin is supported when uncoupled and prevented from jolting out of place when coupled, as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A and the coupling-link M, of IS the spring-actuated sliding block B, provided with the downwardly-projecting lug b and the side springs,L,provided with the projections Z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

F. M. HAZLETON.

Witnesses:

G. A. GOMSTOOK, W. N. WooDsoN. 

